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Photo 1: Shell Point residents and management sign the final steel beam at the Tribby Arts Center “topping off” ceremony held on Jan. 8.
Photo 2: A group of Shell Point residents, who helped raise money for their community’s new performing arts center, toured the construction site of the building that is set to open in fall 2020.
Photo 3: Adam Hinds, vice president of operations at Shell Point, led a group of residents on a guided tour through the new 44,000-square-foot performing arts center, which will provide state-of-the-art work spaces, a 400-seat auditorium and more.
Photo 4: Shell Point Retirement Community recently held a topping off ceremony to mark the construction on the Tribby Arts Center, a two-level, 44,000-square-foot performing arts center dedicated to visual and performing arts, as well as educational programming.
(Front row, left to right): Shell Point residents Ken Saccaro, Deloris Wright, Linda and Bill Doty; Shell Point President Martin Schappell; Shell Point residents Joan Schlackman, Patricia and Michael Armstrong, Joan and Ron Edman, Marge and David Lee, Deborah LaGorce; Adam Hinds, vice president of operations at Shell Point; Shell Point residents Richard Brown, Mary Buck, Betsy Conrad, Marie McCarthy, Carol and Bobby Mann, Richard Flinn. (Back row, left to right): Jeff Cory, executive director of Legacy Foundation at Shell Point; Mike Beaudette, superintendent of Gates Construction; Dave Erb, superintendent of Gates Construction; Marco Petretta, director of construction at Gates Construction; David Tropf, project manager of Gates Construction; Julie Nipper, project manager of Shell Point; Justin Schiff, director of purchasing and construction at Shell Point; Carolyn Darling, administrative assistant at Shell Point.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 16, 2020) – On Jan. 8, Shell Point Retirement Community held a “topping off” ceremony to mark the major construction milestone on the Tribby Arts Center, a two-level, 44,000-square-foot performing arts center dedicated to visual and performing arts as well as educational programming.
The celebration included more than 20 Shell Point residents along with members of Shell Point’s executive team. Each of the attendees signed the final steel beam that was hoisted into place to signify that the structure had reached its maximum height. Additionally, a guided tour through the semi-complete building offered Shell Point’s residents a chance to experience the new spaces firsthand. Representatives from the building contractor, Gates Construction, also joined in the celebration.
“Today marks a special day as we celebrate the tremendous progress that has been made on the Tribby Arts Center,” said Shell Point President Martin Schappell. “This is going to be a wonderful addition to the many amenities that we have at Shell Point. With all of the available arts programs, the 400-seat auditorium and more, the potential for this building is limitless.”
A catered lunch was provided for the Gates Construction team to thank them for their efforts.
“Gates Construction is doing a wonderful job,” said Adam Hinds, vice president of operations at Shell Point. “On average, there are 60 to 70 guys out here each day working hard through the heat, rain and all kinds of weather. Everyone is focused on the same goal as we look forward to the grand opening in fall 2020.”
When complete, the Tribby Arts Center will include a grand entrance and atrium gallery, full-time art gallery, practice rooms for musicians, dance and theatre arts studio, literary lounge and arts library, and numerous studios for painting, crafts, pottery, quilting, stained glass and photography, plus a 400-seat, tiered theatre.
Additionally, the art gallery and shop will display and sell residents’ artworks and host a wide variety of exhibitions, and the Collectors’ Gallery will rotate art from residents’ own collections. Bonus features include a gift shop featuring artists’ works, a French bistro and a sculpture garden that will surround the arts center offering delightful spots to relax, read, stroll, create and enjoy art and music.
The Tribby Arts Center will join the long list of lifestyle amenities at Shell Point, which includes a championship 18-hole golf course with an elegantly appointed clubhouse, free boat docks with deep-water access to the Gulf of Mexico, coastal-inspired restaurants, charming outdoor cafes, luxurious salon and spas, fitness centers, tennis and pickleball, and miles of scenic walking and bike trails. Shell Point Retirement Community is located along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers, Florida, just two miles before Sanibel Island. A nationally recognized leader in the retirement industry, Shell Point is the largest single-site continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Florida and the second largest in the country with 2,500 residents and more than 1,200 employees. For further information about the Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, go to www.shellpoint.org or call 1-800-780-1131.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Emily Rose, Public Relations Coordinator, Shell Point Retirement Community, 239-454-8245 or emilyrose@shellpoint.org
